Bat Galim, Haifa

I mainly knew the Bat Galim promenade thanks to the cable car from Stella Maris (“Gural’s Eggs”) to the restaurant that will forever be Yotvata, despite its name and ownership having changed several times since. It was a nice attraction for children, and I enjoyed it too. I have already walked and photographed there several times, but for some reason, I never noticed the Casino building, or perhaps I saw it and overlooked it.

During my Master’s studies in Urban and Regional Planning at the Technion, the Bat Galim neighborhood was the focus of the field course (“studio”). We thoroughly researched the neighborhood and prepared a plan for its improvement, which can be seen in the images below. During the course, I became acquainted with the Casino building, which was once the British Mandate’s premier entertainment center, and has been abandoned and eroded by the Sea waves since the 1960s. I hope that one day it will return to what it once was. All it needs is a little… money. And goodwill. But mostly money. I believe it’s about twenty million Shekels. Or dollars. What does it matter, really? Does anyone have some money to lend for this cause? Meanwhile, it changes hands, abandoned as it is, from one tycoon to another. Not far from another abandoned tower that was once a public transport hub and is now nothing. And the arches photographed here, another symbol of Bat Galim, were destroyed in 2018. The municipality promised to restore them but has not yet done so.

On YouTube, there are several films about Bat Galim made by people who deeply love the neighborhood, one about the neighborhood and one about the Sea. I also purchased a comprehensive and fascinating book full of love for the neighborhood. There are also several songs about Bat Galim, one beautiful one by the locals, the duet by Karolina and Uri Kinrot that is occasionally played on the radio, and let’s not forget Galia by the Yarkon Bridge Trio! However, the film below is specifically about the Casino.

When I visited the building, it was fenced off, but it was very easy to enter from the Sea side. Today it is less easy. The stairs are exposed and quite daunting to climb, despite their width. You can see the view from above in the third panorama; I intentionally left a small reminder of the building’s current and dismal state inside, with some exposed concrete and graffiti in the center.

But I am optimistic. Good news is emerging regarding the Casino, and Brigade Housing, which also has immense potential, is on the map. In general, optimism is a prerequisite for an urban and regional planner.